Consultant to update Tokwe Mukosi irrigation plan

The government has hired a consultant to update the Tokwe Mukosi irrigation plan, a move set to pave way for the construction of irrigation infrastructure at the dam.

The completion of the Tokwe Mukosi dam brought hope for many communities in Masvingo as the inland water body is now viewed as the ultimate solution to ending the perennial water woes that the province was known for.

While for the ordinary man, the completion of the dam could have meant irrigation starts within the next few months, the reality is that a number of processes still have to be carried out before the masses can start benefitting.

A task force has since been formed to look into the developmental framework of the dam. The chairperson of the taskforce, which has stakeholders from line ministries, Engineer Tinayeshe Mutazu said the government has since appointed a consultant to update the irrigation master plan, which will pave way for works to begin.

“The original master plan was drafted several years back and is now outdated as there are several new developments that have occurred since the dam construction begun in 1998.

So the government has hired a consultant to update the irrigation master plan that was developed by Collin Ballier some years back,” he said.

The consultancy work expected to begin soon is being funded by the government through the Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ).

Close to US$200 million was used in the construction of the dam and locals are already eager to start deriving benefits from this huge investment, sooner than later.